A Greater Fate
by SARXII
Summary: The Queen has fallen ill. Alice is brought back to Underland, but it is again not the Wonderland from her childhood. Can she restore it to a state of glory? Will she run from her new fate? Or will a certain someone convince her to stay? Alice/Hatter
1. Chapter 1

**REPOST: I forgot to change the title within the story from its original. This has been reposted with the correct title.**

**A Greater Fate**

**kagomes-wanna-be**

**Chapter One**

A soft breeze fluttered a lonely curtain. A bread-and-butterfly passed by the open window, chased by an irritable dragonfly, before darting through the window in an attempt to escape. The dragonfly followed closely. The two darted back and forth down the long corridor, doing their best to avoid the passing people and grand decor. The bread-and-butterfly escaped out another window into the fresh garden air and continued their dance as below a tea party commenced.

"You're late!" A cup was thrown and ducked under.

"It is impossible to be late to an event that never ends and has no beginning."

It was true. It was an ongoing tea party. The serving always continued, even when nothing was left to be served. Someone once questioned the possibility of this, stating that it could not be a tea party without any tea. The response was a question as to whether the tea cup or the tea drink was invented first, and the subject was never breached again.

The newest addition to the afternoon tea party took her seat, placing the stained white napkin over her lap. She held up her cup as the host poured the tea and turning her head to let out a cough. "Oh, dear friend, that was quite the ragged noise. Are you well? I can't say that I recall a time when, in my presence, you have coughed as such. Of course, it is probable that you have coughed when not in my presence, but you always seem to be in reputable health. Is your health becoming unreputable?"

The dark eyed beauty tossed her fair hair over her shoulder. "To speak honestly, kind Hatter, I have been feeling under the weather as of late. I may even be paler than normal."

"Sugar for your tea!" Thackery screamed, throwing two cubes from across the table, interrupting the party's burst of laughter at the Queen's joke.

She reached for the offending lumps, accustomed to the practice, but her hand never reached them. Instead, they hit against the breast of her gown as her hand covered her mouth in a coughing fit. The March Hare burst out in laughter along with the resident Dormouse, but the last party member was unable to enjoy the humor.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"

"Fine, fine," Mirana tried to wave it off, but her fit did not lessen. It grew, turning into a more menacing hack. "Please, some tea."

Tarrant rounded to her side, lifting the cup to her lips. It was at this time that the bread-and-butterfly decided to join the tea party. Followed by the dragonfly, it ducked under teapot sports and through cup handles, but was unable to slow in time to avoid the queen. She jumped in her seat at the sudden impact, sending tea down her dress and spluttering from her lips.

"How dare ya attack our queen!" Mallymkun cried, harpooning her pin at the creature. It pierced it through the head, and such was the end of the bread-and-butterfly.

Mirana stood, still coughing wildly, to protest the killing of the unknowing critter. Before she was able to mutter a word, the world turned madder than ever before. The sky and ground switched places and the tea smelt of metal as every teapot on the table began to whistle at its highest pitch. Faintly, she heard the yelling voices of those around her, but they were incoherent. Her knees gave out. She clutched at the table cloth as she fell to the ground-sky, pulling it with her and sending the contents of the tea party to the ground.

Tarrant caught the queen on her descent and helped lower her to the ground. "Your Majesty!" he yelled, shaking her by the shoulders, but there was no response. "Your Majesty!"

"The tea must be poisoned! Treachery! Madness! Mutiny! MURDER!" Thackery jumped from the table to the ground and began crushing all the offending teapots and teacups.

The commotion in the garden caught the attention of those in the castle. They began opening the windows and pouring out the doors, noticing the tea party was madder than usual.

"The doctor!" The Hatter cried to the masses. "Fetch the doctor at once! The Queen has fallen!"

A roar erupted and madness reigned. The Queen was on the ground, the hare was screaming of murder, and the doctor appeared to be out for the day.

* * *

The mood was... absent. No mood could be found. No one in the room knew how to react. For the first time in years, the entire castle was silent.

"Your Majesty?" the timid voice of the doctor asked. She hadn't spoken in minutes.

Ever composed, she looked up at them with a smile. She had no time for mourning. "Forgive me. I was lost in reverie."

"It is quite alright," she was assured by the doctor. He seemed to be the only one able to speak. "Should we look further?"

"No," Mirana stated certainly. She rolled the Oraculum up from where it rested upon her lap. "We have seen far more than we should have in order to receive the information we required." She had done her best to ignore the rolling images of Underland's near future, but certain glimpses could not be helped.

Silence abounded once more as Mirana placed the Oraculum on her nightside table. The present people stole glances at each other, each questioning the other as to who should speak and what should be spoken.

"What do we do now?" someone, some high ranking court member, questioned.

"Why we should go to bed, of course!" Hatter cried. "We've all been awake with worry for many hours today, and the Queen is awake far past her bedtime. Naughty," he chastised her with a wink.

The outburst had been uncalled for and ill-executed, but the others could not disagree. It was late, and the queen would need all the rest she could get. Slowly, the processional exited the lady's chamber, all to the farewells and goodnights of one Tarrant Hightopp. They could not find his same joy in themselves for a hearty departure, but then again, he was mad.

Soon the room was empty and all that remained was the queen and the hatter. They faced each other, each mirroring the others pained eyes.

"Thank you, Hatter. You have made this night far easier on me."

He smiled at her, holding his top hat in his hands. "If that is all I can say that I've done with this life, then it has been a good life."

Tears came to the young queen's eyes, but she refused to cry in front of him. He was such a good friend. She refused to add her pain to his own. "You should sleep. You do not want to be tired for your guests at tea tomorrow. You never know who will show up."

He cast his eyes downward, watching his hands play with the edges of the blue fabric wrapped about his hat. "I've been considering words that begin with the word A lately; absent, anguish, anger-"

"All hope is not lost, Tarrant. You have many friends in this world," Mirana interrupted him before he could finish his thoughts.

"Aye," he whispered. "Many friends indeed."

With a tip of his hat and a wish goodnight, the hatter left the queen alone. Or, he thought alone.

"'Tis truly a tragedy."

"There have been far more tragic tragedies in the history of Underland than this," she informed the blue butterfly on her balcony ledge.

Absolem flew across to her bed, perching on the pillow next to her. "How are you?"

With a sigh she responded, "In the end, I will be fine. But I'm afraid that Underland may not be."

"I feel a favor being brought on," he said in monotone. "You know I am not oft for favors."

She knew it to be true. Absolem did as he pleased, being the wisest member of Underland, but she found it worthwhile to state her point. "At least you know it will be the only favor I'll ever have the pleasure to ask you."

Even as a butterfly, she could see the smile on his face, his wings giving a soft flutter. "What do you need, Your Majesty?"

"Alice," she told him sternly. "I need our Champion."


	2. Chapter 2

******REPOST: I forgot to change the title within the story from its original. This has been reposted with the correct title.**

**A Greater Fate**

**kagomes-wanna-be**

**Chapter Two**

_Dearest Margaret,_

_Being unmarried and 22 is hard, I have discovered. I do not mean that I wish to be married, I am still quite happy with my current life and would not trade it for anything, but I do so hate being gawked at in such scrutinizing manners. Every time I enter a dinner party or business affair, I am introduced as Ms. Alice Kingsleigh, and the entire company seems quite uncomfortable all of the sudden. I can see in their faces that they had expected the 'A. Kingsleigh' of letters to be an Albert or Anthony, but certainly not an ALICE. The rest of the evening is spent with eligible men watching me, deciding whether or not I would find them worthy of becoming their Mrs. and getting their hands in the business, and all the non-eligible men and their wives (for, you see, there are never any other females present besides myself and the wives) spend the night trying to decide what is my flaw that I am not married. __It's maddening!_

_It was not like this when I was 21. Oh, no. It would appear that 21 is the last year that women are allowed to be unmarried. They were still confused in my ventures with the business, but not as concerned with my single status._

_In other news, I do greatly enjoy it here in China. The people are so kind and welcoming, and the culture is unlike anything I have ever seen. I find myself more often wearing their ceremonious robes than my own dresses. And their shoes! They do not bother themselves with boots and buttons and buckles. Rather, they wear sturdy sandals that are much more comfortable and purposeful. Honestly, wearing these clothes makes me feel free in a sense._

_You should not be surprised if in the near future I merely disappear into this mysterious, foreign land!_

_I will be returning home soon, however, so I doubt this would be possible. Until then, I will have to soak up as much of this place as I can. I promise to bring back presents for you and mother!_

_'Til then,_

_Alice_

Alice placed her quill into the inkpot and read back over the letter to her sister as the ink dried. She paused at the end of the second paragraph. "Oh dear, have I made a rhyme?" It slipped out before she realized it had, and she was unable to take it back.

She set the letter onto the desk and leaned back against her chair. Her eyes wandered from the letter up to the window above her. The tree branches outside swung back and forth in the wind as a storm blew in from the south. The thunderheads had been visible since the morning, but they had only just begun to stir overhead.

But she did not see the trees, or the leaves, or the rolling clouds beyond. Her mind was not focused on these things, or anything of this world. Instead of dark and gloom, she saw bright colors and big smiles and warm green eyes.

She slammed her hands and stood to turn from the view in front of her, but as she did, the sleeve of her dress caught her quill, knocking the inkpot over. She cried out as it stained the bottom of her letter to Margaret, snatching the letter up.

Suddenly, an unannounced gush of air blew the windows open, tearing the letter from her hands and sucking it into the storm outside. "No!" she exclaimed. Trying to chase the letter, she pressed her hand to the desk and leapt towards the window, but was unable to stop it.

She muttered obscenities under her breath and ran to the door, pulling on a large robe to cover herself from the brewing storm. It was nearly impossible to see once she was outside. The rain and wind came down in sheets, battering against her. In an instant she realized how ridiculous of an idea this was. How was she ever supposed to find a letter being blow around in this storm? Then, suddenly, she saw the flapping white and black paper caught on a branch in the distance and took off for it.

The letter was torn away right before she could wrap her fingers around it. She pursued, running into the trees around her mountain inn.

"Get back here!" she found herself yelling into the storm, frustration marring her judgment.

Finally, she had run more as much as she could in the defeating wind. Tucking herself behind a tree, she stopped to catch her breath, covered for a moment from the pelting rain. The inn was nowhere to be seen. With a sudden strike of fear, she realized that she was lost in the middle of a storm, in the middle of the night, in a country where she didn't even speak the language.

She squatted down, wrapping her arms around her knees and burying her face into her soaking blonde curls. "I'm going to die here," she told herself as tears began to run down her face. "I've traveled to a different world, infiltrated the castle of a tyranical queen, tamed a bloodthirsty beast, and slain an evil, ancient monster, but this storm is going to be the end of me. And all because of a stupid letter."

Suddenly ashamed of herself, she shook her head. "Get a grip on yourself, Alice. This is nothing but a storm. You've been through plenty of storms in your time. Just stand up and you'll find your way back."

She stood up like she told herself and faced the storm before her. But in the middle of the rain and lightening and destruction, she saw the fluttering of two blue wings struggling to stay afloat. "Absolem?" she asked, holding her hair from her eyes. It was absolutely Absolem. She'd know that blue hue anywhere. "Absolem!" she cried, but he was already being carried away by the wind.

Alice took off after him, praying she could reach him in time. If she thought that she would die in this terrible storm, then a poor butterfly had no chance. The forest around her, filled with unfamiliar trees and shrubbery, flew past. Lightening and thunder exploded the sky above. Absolem was being pulled faster and faster away from her. He was blown around the corner of a tree and out of her sight. She turned the tree, saw the bright flash of a lightening bolt, and screamed as the earth fell away beneath her.

**AN: **I hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Please let me know all of your thoughts, good, bad, ugly, gorgeous or mad :D I'll try to update as soon as possible! And to any of you who are following my other stories, I'm so sorry I haven't updated. I just can't find it in me :(( See you soon!

kagomes-wanna-be

Go, be merry, and review :)


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Thank you everyone for the great reviews and story adds! I'll do my best to keep the updates coming :) Enjoy!

**A Greater Fate**

**kagomes-wanna-be**

**Chapter Three**

She had realized a few moments in what was happening, where she was going, but it did not make it any less frightening. She knew that she'd have to hit the ground eventually, and was certainly not looking forward to it. The tunnel did not help in squelching her fears.

The storm seemed to continue all the way down, getting worse along the way. It was almost as though the tunnel were the epicenter, the storm in the sky above branching from here. Lightening flashed and the wind blew her in circles, knocking her this way and that. The following clap of thunder nearly deafened her. She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut as another bolt of lightening exploded right in front of her, rendering her blind as well.

The hole seemed longer than the one back in England. It didn't have the random assortments of furniture and knick-knacks with the occasional plant and tree root. Instead it was empty and stormy, widening as it got further down.

An unusually strong gust grabbed hold of her, sending her into the wall. She cried out in pain. It certainly hadn't been this terrifying in the other rabbit hole either.

Just as soon as she began to pray for it all to be over, the wind at her back disappeared and she slowed considerably. The noise from the storm was completely gone. She opened her eyes and saw the end of the tunnel rapidly approaching. A little more rapidly than she had expected.

With a whack she hit the ground. Unable to brace herself in time, her head slammed into the white tile floor, forcing her eyes to cross and the air to be knocked out of her. For a moment she lost all coherency, and she knew she must have been quite a sight. She was laying on the floor, soaked to her bones, wearing an oversized robe and nightgown, covered in dirt, and what she could only imagine was the world's largest bump on her head.

Rolling to her back, she stared at the swirling glass ceiling. "How peculiar," she muttered as she saw two ceilings above her. "Why would anyone build two ceilings for one room?"

As the two ceilings converged into one, she realized her mistake, and gave herself an extra moment to lay there and make sure her body wouldn't play any more tricks on her. Finally, she sat up, being weary of her head. Once it was apparent she would have no more pranks played on her by her mind, she stood and looked around. Sunlight streamed in through the glass above, illuminating the otherwise bland room. There were many doors, just as before, and one very long mirror. In the center of the room was a three-legged round table. After close inspection, she discovered that there was nothing on the table or the floor around it.

Remembering to the sequence of events from her last visit, she attempted the handle of every door, but to no avail. All doors, big and small, thin and wide, were sufficiently locked. No way out. "Now what am I to do?" she questioned with a pout. She looked at the table one last time. Still, nothing on or around it. There was positively nothing in this room.

With nothing else to do, and no answer to the riddle that was the room around her, Alice approached the mirror to survey the damage upon her person. Firstly, she was covered with dirt. The mud from the storm and the fall had covered her from head to toe, ruining both the robe and her undergarments. Secondly, her hair looked like a birds nest that had been knocked out of a tree; tangled and bunched together with twigs and leaves sticking out of all ends. Then, while trying to wipe as much of the mud from her face as she could, she noticed a dark black smudge stretching from atop her brow all the way down to her chin. She glanced at her hand and found the same deep black stain. The ink, she realized, had made its way from the desk to her hand, and then to her face, probably while wiping her hair from her eyes in the storm.

She sighed heavily. She looked a right mess, her head was throbbing, and she knew no way to exit the room. And yet, she still felt the pings of elation in the pit of her stomach. She had returned! After three years of absence, wondering what her friends were up to, how things had been since her departure, fearing that she someday may forget this place again, she was back in Underland. Her Wonderland.

At this moment, the reflection of the table behind her caught her eye. A book laid upon it. Sure that it had not been there before, she raced to it and snatched it up. Across the front of the tattered red book, in large black letters, was written "**_This Is Not The Room You're Looking For_.**"

"I can see that," she said aloud. "If it were the room I was looking for, I'd be out of it already."

Curious to find if the book had any useful information, she opened it. The first page was blank until the very end, where in very small print it was stated, "_But that doesn't mean this isn't where you should be._"

Turning the page, Alice found more writing printed in block letters. "_In fact, Alice, this is exactly where you should be._"

"How do you know my name?" Alice asked the book, turning the page once more.

"_Everyone knows your name here, of course. You are ALICE! Alice of Upland. Alice the Champion. Alice the Great Disappearer._"

She frowned at the last part. "Do they really call me that?" She hadn't meant to disappear on them. Is that what they thought of her here? She turned the page once more.

"_No. Only I. But that doesn't mean it isn't true."_

"I didn't mean to disappear. I had things to do with my life - my other life. My Upland life. It didn't feel right staying here with so many unanswered questions. I never could have been happy. I thought Underland would understand that."

"_They did understand. However, that doesn't mean it was any easier to lose you."_

Suddenly, she felt guilty. What a brisk book. Never in all her life had she encountered a book that was so captivating in the first five pages.

Unable to think of another reply, she merely turned the page to continue. "_Would you like to know the way out of here?"_

"Very much so!" she responded enthusiastically. She already felt as though the walls were closing in on her.

"Y_ou won't be leaving by door or by window. Or by floor or by wall. The ceiling is much too high, and the table is much too short."_

Glancing around, Alice didn't understand. That was all there was in the room! How was she supposed to leave when there wasn't a single place she could exit? "Think, Alice. No doors, no windows, no floors, no walls, no ceiling." Her eyes snapped open and she stared once again at her ragged reflection. "All that remains is the mirror. But how am I to leave through a mirror? It is a looking glass, not an exit."

"_Have you ever _tried_ to exit through a looking glass? It is not something I would denounce if I were you. You seem to be out of options."_

She snapped the book shut indignantly. "No need to be rude," she told it with a huff and set it back on the circular table.

Alice approached the mirror and stared at it. She scanned the edges for a latch, but came up empty handed. With bated breath, she held out her hand to touch the glass, but her fingers never reached. Instead they continued straight through, until her entire hand had disappeared.

"Thank you, kind book!" she called behind her, waving goodbye, ready to step through. A thump behind her halted her exit. Looking back, she found the book open face down on the floor. She lifted it up and studied the page which read, "_You could take me with you, Ms. Alice Kingsleigh. I've been here for so long."_

Never had a book made her feel so depressed. Eager to liberate it from its lonely fate, Alice placed the book within the pocket of her robe, making sure it was secure. She stepped through the looking glass.

**AN: **I hope you liked this chapter. It was originally supposed to include her foray into Underland as well, but I got so caught up with the book talk that I couldn't fit anything else in here without it being obscenely long :P I'd love some more reviews from you guys. It would certainly make me want to write more :D Thanks!

kagomes-wanna-be

Go, be merry, and review :)


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Only one review? One, tiny review? That's just depressing :( Reviews make me eager to work! Please send some more. Let me know what you like, or what you don't, or what you think should happen. Please? Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

sarahbluerose13: Well, I've never read the Harry Potter series, and I don't really pay attention to the movies, so I'm not actually sure what the book you're talking about is. Either way, any similarities between that book and the book I've created are purely unintentional :)

**A Greater Fate**

**kagomes-wanna-be**

**Chapter Four**

Walking through a looking glass is very much like swimming. The substance is liquidy, swirling around you as though it were alive. It made her hair lift about her, floating and swishing with the unseeable ebb and flow. As she continued her slow descent into the looking glass, she felt as though it really were liquid around her. It stripped the mud from her skin. Her feet lifted from the floor. Suddenly, she was no longer going forward. She was swimming up!

Her lungs screamed as she realized how long it had been since she'd taken a breath. Kicking rapidly, she fought as hard as she could to get to the surface. Pain and fear surged through her. She couldn't tell where the top was. She feared she wouldn't make it before her lungs gave up.

With a desperate gasp, her head broke the surface of the water. She flailed madly, feeling as though she were being dragged under by the weight of her clothing. The world around her was a haze. All she could see was red and blur while her body attempted to refill itself with the proper amount of oxygen.

As her vision slowly returned to normal, she saw the shore a short distance away. She swam as best she could in her boots and robe. Finally, the water was shallow enough to let her walk, and she crawled herself onto the sand, collapsing.

For a long time, she simply laid there, letting the afternoon sun blaze down on her back. She was perfectly content to remain there, until she sucked in a deep breath and a mouthful of sand intruded her lungs. Rolling to her side, she coughed up the sand and decided to move to a more suitable place to rest.

Standing, a rather plushy patch of grass presented itself to her. She meandered over to it and plopped onto her back. She suddenly realized how tired she was. After all, it was bedtime back in Chine, she'd run madly through a storm, she'd fallen down a hole, hit her head on a tile floor, and nearly drowned! she decided she needed a rest. She didn't care that it was daytime here; she was tired. So she closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

"It can't be her."

"But look at her! It must be."

Alice awoke to the sound of hushed voices. They were near her ear and she swatted in that direction in an attempt to send them away.

"Hey!" one of the voices cried. "Why'd you have to do that for?"

"I'm sleeping. Leave me be," Alice grumbled, rolling away from them.

"We know that. You've been sleeping for hours!" the other voice called.

Alice just groaned and tried to cover her ears from the intruding voices. She was still tired and her head was splitting apart. This was certainly not how she'd hoped her return to Underland would go.

Her eyes snapped open suddenly. "Underland," she muttered to herself. "Underland!" She sat up quite excitedly, glancing around her to make sure it were true, and it was. She had returned to Underland.

"Of course it is! Where else would you be?"

She looked down beside her and saw two mice standing nearby. "Oh, do forgive me," Alice apologized. "I'm just very tired and in pain. I've had quite a journey, you see."

"Where did you travel from?" the kinder of the two mice asked.

"I came from another world," Alice said honestly.

The mice gasped, beginning to jump up and down in excitement. "Then it is you!"

"We knew it must be!"

"You were saying it couldn't possibly be her!"

"I never said such a thing!" yelled the obviously more temperamental mouse. "How could I when it was so obviously her? Of course I knew THE Alice when I saw her! No one would ever mistake the Alice!"

Alice blushed as they spoke. They may have been speaking of her, but they seemed so lost in fight that they forgot about her presence entirely. "Pardon me," Alice interrupted finally.

"Stay out of it, would ya?" the angry one yelled.

The nice mouse gawked at his companion for a moment before turning to face Alice. "Please forgive my sister. She often loses her head."

Alice giggled at the phrase. "It's quite alright," she assured him before turning to his sister. "You know, you remind me of a Dormouse I know."

"I doubt that," the mouse scoffed. "Dormice are vermin little creatures."

"Then what are you?" Alice asked confused.

"I'm a Fieldmouse! What are you?" she retorted.

"Well I'm a human, of course!" she huffed.

The mouse opened her mouth to respond, but her brother jumped in. "Please stop this at once! Don't you realize who you're talking to?"

The female mouse crossed her arms and turned away. Her friend sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, we're being quite rude," he said in an attempt to change the subject. "We know who you are, but you don't know who we are. My name is Slaman, and this is my sister, Shala."

"A pleasure," Alice responded to his bow, trying to be as nice as possible, despite Shala's deplorable attitude. she really was just like Mallymkun.

"So, brave Alice, why is it you're sleeping on a bank exactly?" Slaman asked.

"I was tired from my journey, and as I came out from the lake, all I could manage was to crawl my way here to rest," she explained with a yawn.

"It sounds like a frightful journey indeed," he sympathized.

Alice nodded, but as she thought about it, her urge to return to her friends grew to painful heights, churning in her chest. "Yes, but it isn't over yet. I need to get to Marmoreal to alert the White Queen to my return. Thank you for your kindness, but I really must be going," she explained, standing.

"But Alice," Slaman began, gesturing to the beyond horizon. "It is nearly sunset. It is far too dangerous for you to travel alone at night in this part of Underland."

"What part of Underland is this, exactly?"

"Are you a complete ignoramus?" Shala piped in once more. "You're in Witzend. The most Northwest section; half hour's walk to the Crimson Sea, double that to the border of Crim."

"You'd do well to find somewhere safe for the night," her brother added.

"But you could escort me," Alice pointed out. All she wanted to do was return to Marmoreal to see her friends. She couldn't waste another moment.

Slaman shook his head. "I'm sorry, but we are only two Fieldmice. We can not protect you if we come into danger. You see, right across that lake is the Outlands, and it isn't unheard of for its inhabitants to find there was here during the night. The only way to ensure your safety is to hide and set off in the morning."

Alice blanched at the idea. They expected her to stay still for an entire night in Underland? It was preposterous. Besides, she was the Champion! She had slain the Jabberwocky! She could certainly handle whatever bump-in-the-night that came after her.

Of course, she realized, she had been expecting the attack from the Jabberwocky, and it hadn't been nighttime. Please, there were all her friends and an entire army behind her. And she'd had a weapon a fate on her side.

Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to take shelter for the night.

"Please do not put yourself in such danger. You can come with us and stay with our clan," her small friend offered.

"Wait a minute!" Shala cried. "You can't just invite her to our home! What will the elders say? Maybe they don't want a filthy human girl staying with us."

"Shush yourself, Shala. This is Alice, Champion of the White Queen. The elders will be more than happy to have her as a guest." Slaman stepped forward and took hold of the bottom of her robe, tugging her along. "Follow me. It'll take us three quarters of an hour to arrive at the village."

Alice followed her friend obediently, making sure to walk slow enough to not walk past him, which was hard to do with the different lengths of their legs. Shala followed the two silently, brooding all the while.

There wasn't much to see on the way to the Fieldmice Village. It was a light wood, mostly coastland, without any buildings or roads to speak of. Every so often a strange bush or plant would catch her eye and Slaman would proudly explain to her what it was. By the time they reached the village, she had seen over half a dozen Sighing Bushes and Dying Flowers. The Dying Flower deserved a better name, she thought, as it was a bright red color and didn't make her feel like dying at all. Slaman explained that the name came from the fact that every night the flower wilted, dried, and lost all its petals, only to reblossom the next morning. Alice decided the name was appropriate after all.

"We're here," Slaman announced as they rounded a bend a little after nightfall.

Alice's gaze was instantly drawn upward, where above a suspended metropolis flourished. Not a single building of the village was located on the floor, but rather in the trees, where platforms had been built to uphold the homes and stores and all the other things a mice clan might need. Fleetingly, Alice noticed how ironic it was for a Fieldmouse Village to be above the ground.

She was welcomed happily by all the members of the village. They threw small rope ladders from the platforms and climbed down them as others crawled down trees and slid down vines. They surrounded her, calling up to her. She knelt down, making sure not to crush any of them, and reached out, shaking as many of their hands as possible. The tree-top village must have gone on further than she could see, because there were far too many Fieldmice for the amount of buildings above her head. They seemed to just keep coming.

A whistle sounded above and the clearing went silent. All eyes turned upward, where a mouse, obviously too old to climb out of the trees, stood in the middle of one bridge with the help of two guards.

"Hello, large visitor," the mouse spoke with an air of authority. "Please forgive me for my doubt, but my eyesight is not the same as it once was. It is quite hard for me to see your face. Are you truly, as I hear my villagers chanting, the Alice, Champion of the White Queen?"

"I can assure you that I am," Alice told him with a nod. She was far more sure of herself now than the last time she was asked that on a visit to Underland.

A smile spread across the elder's face and he bowed his head to her. "It is an honor to be in your presence."

Alice returned his smile and bowed her head as well. Looking him over again, she noticed just how old he truly was. All the brown in his coat had disappeared and was replaced with grey, white in some parts, and his whiskers were long and drooping. He could not stand on his own, she realized, as the two guards on either side of him had not let go of his arms once. He was physically weak and soft spoken, but his mind was still sharp.

"My name is Feldon. I am the chief of this village. If we had known about your appearance sooner, we would have planned a far grander reception for you. But, as it is, we will regrettably have to settle for this hurried welcome," he told her, before addressing his own people. "My children, it is past the sunset. You should not be out of the trees. Bid our Champion goodnight and return to your homes at once. Slaman, Shala, please stay."

The Fieldmice all gave their farewells and goodnight wishes to Alice before scurrying back into the trees the way they came. Eventually, only Alice, Feldon, his guards and the siblings were left behind. The entire forest went silent, as though not a single living thing was within its leaves. "Please forgive us, but this part of Underland is not safe at night. We make sure to take to the trees and stay as silent as possible to eliminate detection."

Alice nodded in understanding. She didn't know the creatures that lived in the Outlands - besides two, that is - but if they were really that close, it was perfectly reasonable to take shelter so they could not be found. "Chief, Alice has had a very long journey, and we have offered her our village as refuge for the night," Slaman explained from next to her. Shala stood away, as usual, her arms still crossed as before. "She's obviously larger than us and our houses, but I believed the winter storeroom would suit well enough."

Feldon was silent for a moment. Finally, he nodded. "Yes, it will. I'm sorry we do not have anything more fitting, Champion Alice."

"Whatever you can offer is more than enough," she assured him.

The chief dismissed himself after giving Shala and Slaman orders to show Alice the store room. They did, one more reluctantly than the other, however. Unfortunately, there were no ladders or vines sturdy enough for her size, so she had to climb a nearby tree and balance precariously on her way to the storeroom. It was large and empty with a door just the right size for her to climb through. She mentally thanked whatever powers their may be that she didn't have to take any pishsalver.

"Goodnight Slaman. Thank you for everything," Alice said, giving him a large smile. She saw his sister behind him and gave her a smile as well. "You too, Shala. Sleep well."

Shala glanced up for a moment and muttered a soft farewell before leaving the storage room. Her brother bid Alice goodnight, apologizing for the lack of accommodations, and left as well. Alice didn't need them, however. She didn't have a blanket or any pillows, but she laid down on the wood floor, and quickly let the warm Underland night lull her to sleep.

**AN: **I know it isn't very exciting yet, but things will start getting interesting next chapter. I really just want to explore more of Underland and get Alice as educated as possible. You'll find out why later :) I'm estimating the reunion in T-minus 2 chapters. Please review and tell me what you think :)

kagomes-wanna-be

Go, be merry, and review :)


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Thanks for the reviews and adds and everything! You guys make me happy :) Please keep it coming, and enjoy the chapter! This is where it starts getting interesting :D

**A Greater Fate**

**kagomes-wanna-be**

**Chapter Five**

When Alice awoke, the sun had been up for over an hour. The mice were hustling about, littering the forest floor with their many projects. Today's main agenda appeared to be gathering food for breakfast. They were all working twice as hard, as they needed enough food to feed Alice as well.

She ate with the entire village. They sat on their perches and branches as well as the forest floor with her, as they had no where suitable for her to dine. Each mouse was having a conversation with another, but Alice could still feel their eyes on her. The nuts and berries she had been given were delicious, but it was covered by how uncomfortable she felt.

Eventually, breakfast was finished and she stood between the same trees she had yesterday, saying her goodbyes to the Fieldmice. They gave her the left over nuts and berries for her trip, along with a letter addressed to the queen from Chief Feldon. Alice chuckled in her had at the idea of mice writing a letter on paper that was bigger than themselves, but was polite enough to not make fun of their stature.

"Thank you, Gracious Alice, for staying in our village. May you have a safe journey."

"It was a pleasure. I will never forget you or your village," she said.

The chief bristled obviously with pride, smiling down at the White Queen's Champion. "Fairfarren."

Alice felt her gut clench. She hadn't heard that word since her last departure from Underland. Green eyes flashed in the forefront of her mind, fading grey and eventually disappearing like the last time she had seen them. The urgency to continue on renewed itself tenfold.

"Fairfarren," she returned.

A minute later, she was off, with most of the village at her heels. They followed for a while, but began to break off in groups as the journey continued, until the only ones left were her and the siblings. They had been charged with helping her not lose her way.

Alice consumed her mind with fanciful thoughts to help pass the time. She compared the differences between Fieldmice and Dormice for a while and decided the only real difference was the grayish color in the Fieldmouse coat. Keeping on track with her thoughts, she pondered about the two mice accompanying her.

"Slaman?"

"Yes, Alice?" he asked, glancing up.

"How are you to help me not get lost if I already am?" she questioned, gazing off.

Slaman was silent for a moment while Shala snorted behind him at Alice's thoughts. "I am to escort you to Marmoreal," he began, "and make sure you don't end up somewhere else instead."

Silently, Alice nodded. It appeared as though he was all business. She thought he might get along well with McTwisp.

They walked together for many hours, speaking at times, but mostly in silence. Slaman took his job very seriously, keeping an open eye, while Shala was still contemptuous. Alice would see a creature or plant from time-to-time and ask about it, to which he would happily respond like the day before. She learned about Buttercup Flowers, Lemon-Lime trees, saw a Double Skunk ("Because no one wants to be near a skunk, so they get very lonely without someone else to talk to," Slaman had explained), a Dicorn, and a Cuckoo Bird, who couldn't seem to get both of its wings working at the same time.

They walked together a while longer, before Alice noticed the sound of soft feet beside her had stopped. Turning, she saw her companions standing side by side a ways back. "What's wrong?" she asked, approaching them.

"I'm sorry," Slaman said. "But it is already half day."

"If we don't head back now, we won't be there before dark," Shala finished.

Alice nodded acceptingly. She understood their hesitation of the night, especially so close to the outland border. Looking at Slaman, she noticed the guilty look on his face. "Do not worry, Slaman," she stated, kneeling down to be closer to him. "I will be perfectly fine from here." She leaned down, placing a kiss on his furry cheek.

He beamed with pride and nodded his head adamently. "I am sure you will. We are far from the Outlands, and you are a Champion, after all." He jumped suddenly as he remembered something, reaching to his side. "I nearly forgot. Cheif Feldon asked me to give this to you when we had to separate, if only for precaution."

She took the vial he'd previously had attached to his waist. She had noticed it earlier, but never said anything, and it had slipped from her mind. Taking it from her, she looked at the light blue liquid inside. "What is it?"

"It's called Dimcallund. If you do happen to come across someone who means you ill will, drink all of it, and they will no longer be able to detect you in any way," he explained.

With a soft smile she thanked him and placed it in her pocket for later. She turned her attention to Shala, who stood with her arms crossed as normal. Rather than try to say anything, Alice merely held her hand out to the Fieldmouse. Abstaining for a moment, Shala eventually placed her hand against Alice's and gave a firm shake.

"Just point me in the right direction, then," Alice said, standing.

"Follow this road. Any separations in the road have signs. Make sure you stay on the road East to Queast, and eventually you will find a road that will lead you to Marmoreal."

With a nod, Alice bid them farewell, promised to see them again, and they were off in their opposite directions.

In the beginning, Alice was relieved to be without her mini companions. The conversation was nice, but she couldn't deny how much the length of their legs hindered her normal traveling speed. She honestly would have traveled twice as far if she had been alone.

Eventually, however, loneliness crept up on her. Traveling was far more fun with others. She had no one to ask about or discuss the sights she saw. Even if they hadn't been talking much, Alice would have appreciated a pair of ears for her comments about the weather to fall upon.

"Oh!" she called out suddenly as a thought struck her. Reaching into the pocket of her robe, she pulled out the book as she realized she did have someone to talk to. She smiled. Across the front, the old title had been replaced with "**Hello Again.**"

"Hello to you, too. I'm sorry, I seem to have forgotten you for a time."

She turned the page. "_A time for you, but in comparison with the time I have collected, barely a moment at all. Besides, I have very much enjoyed listening to your conversations._"

"You can hear?" Alice asked, her brow pulling together.

"_How else would I know what you are saying?_"

"That's a good question," she conceded.

"_You should pay more attention to the road, Alice. You wouldn't want to get us lost._"

Glancing up, Alice realized that there was a crossroad; one she probably would have missed had she not been paying attention. She thanked the book and walked to the crossroad, studying the sign. Her blood ran cold. one sign pointed towards Snud, another to Queast. But the last sign, the one that looked the newest and was painted bright red, pointed towards Salazen Grum.

"Where am I?" Alice asked herself, looking at the flat grasses and sparse trees around her, the mountains in the distance.

The book in her hands flipped open by an unseen breeze, and she looked down at the page. "_You are in the brush land of Crims, the most northern area of Underland._"

Swallowing, Alice stared at the nearby mountains. It took her a minute to remember the road she was on, the one that Bayard had lead her and the Bandersnatch down to Marmoreal. She began to think of the Red Queen's castle, and the urge in her took a new direction. She was overwhelmed by a morbid curiosity.

"How long of a journey is it from here to Marmoreal?"

"_Approximately three hours, at a brisk pace. Four if you take your time._"

Glancing up, Alice deducted there were about five hours of light left. She had seven hours of travel time before she would have to stop. That left plenty of time for her to be adventurous.

With a thank you she closed her friend and placed it in her pocket. Curiosity won. She turned directions and headed for Salazen Grum.

* * *

She had told herself she only wanted to see the outside of the red, towering monument to evil. And yet, here she was, seep inside its bowels. She tried to take note of everything she saw, not having been able to on her last visit. Silently, she decided that it was quite a beautiful building, but it was hard to see it as such due to the nature of its old inhabitants.

"It isn't the building's fault," Alice muttered in the empty hall, feeling bad for its undeserved reputation. "A building can't be evil."

The disembodied heads which had previously been floating in the blackened moat surrounding the castle had all been removed. The Bandersnatch stall in the main courtyard looked like it was barely holding itself up. Everything was dirty and overgrown, making the castle appear older than it was. Nothing had set foot here since that fated Frabjous Day.

She walked down one of the long hallways of the castles. Narrow, black arches in the shape of hearts crested from the walls every few yards, making the hallway appear even longer than it was. The designs along the wall had begun fading, but were still visible. A door was open at the end of the hall, slowly swinging as the breeze blew it open and closed.

Alice stepped through the open door cautiously. It felt as though any sudden movement could disrupt the quiet around her. Through the doorway was a viewing balcony. The curtains were torn and dirty from weather, and the grand chair which had sat in the center was knocked off its pedestal. Peering over the railing, she saw a platform in the courtyard below. It was grim and made of concrete, and at the front was the unmistakable shape of a beheading stand. Up above her, Alice could see the remains of what looked like a very large, unoccupied bird cage.

She left the scene behind her in an attempt to dismiss it, but the images of the numerous beheadings that must have taken place there were already in her mind. She could see the Red Queen sitting in that chair, watching as head after head was removed. Alice could see her watching as a burnt top hat fell to the ground below.

She shook the image of Hatter being decapitated from her mind and decided it was time to leave. Her curiosity had been squelched and it was now time to return to the task at hand. Alice, however, had managed to get herself tangled into the many halls and rooms of the castle, and could only walk where her feet led her and attempt to get free.

"Silly girl indeed," Alice muttered to herself, thinking of what Absolem would say if he saw her in this predicament. The thought of Absolem made her realize that she hadn't seen him since the storm. She wondered if he was okay and told herself to ask about him as soon as she reached Marmoreal.

Through a set of doors she found the kitchen, which was just as red, dark, and empty as the rest of the castle. It didn't look like a place for meals to be prepared at all. Of course, nothing in this castle looked the way that it should. A place where someone lives should be full of happiness and light. This particularly grand home felt as though it ate it.

Continuing on, she walked to the other side, where she found two more doors. The dining room was on the other side of them, followed by a sitting room. An endless maze of rooms and corridors, with windows showing the overgrown gardens outside, but never could she find a door. She was more frustrated than she had ever been in her life, and she plopped herself on the chaise lounge in the middle of the floor.

"How am I ever going to get to Marmoreal if I can't even find my way out of a bloody castle?" she asked herself, resting her chin in her hands.

She sneezed as the stale dust in the air. The sudden noise echoed throughout the room. It shocked her after having been surrounded by silence for so long, and she sat for a moment to recover. She expected to hear something in return, perhaps a protest from the building for disturbing the peace, but she knew that nothing would come. It was preposterous. She stood and straightened her robe.

A door slammed.

Alice jumped, swallowing the scream in her throat. She spun to the doors, but they were undisturbed. The noise had been from another room. There was another slam, closer this time. Alice could here voices now. They were speaking very loud, possibly shouting, if she were able to hear them through such thick walls. Wondering who would be as curious as herself to enter the castle, she crossed to the doors she had come from and opened one just an inch.

The door on the other side of the room slammed open, and Alice swallowed her scream once more. Ilosovic Stayne appeared, dragging a red faced Iracebeth behind him. He was walking straight at her.

**AN: **Yay, things are interesting now. Pleas review :) Tarrant and the others reappear next chapter.

kagomes-wanna-be

Go, be merry, and review :)


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